Alice: House of Lost Souls
by Alex Maximus
Summary: This is a Story that I have been thinking of Ever Since I played the game. I was always thinking about its meaning, and how it reflected on Human Emotions, and how we tend to blaim ourselves for most things that go wrong in life when were not. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

Alice: House of Broken Souls

By ShadowFaxIV

Inspired by the Video Game "American McGee's Alice" with a few things taken from Disney's version.

This Fanfic is written purely for the enjoyment of its readers and is in no way making any form of prophet

Chapter One: The Beginning and the House of the Broken Heart

"ALICE!" screamed an angry voice from downstairs, "ALICE WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT DARN CAT!" Alice immediately dropped her looking glass onto the desk and ran as quickly as she could down the stairs to the kitchen where her mother had undoubtedly found Dina hiding under the kitchen sink (or one of a thousand other possible hiding places).

"Sorry mother!" Alice shouted on the way. Immediately upon reaching the kitchen Alice spotted her mother (Dina in arms) walking toward the back door. "Oh Mother Please! Its snowing outside and Dina will get cold!"

"No animals in the house Alice," her Mother stated coldly, (well it seamed cold to Alice, as all rules do to children at the time, but it was probably just spoken sternly) "you know the rules, stop letting her in!"

"But she's lonely!" Alice cooed, holding the o much longer than she needed to. "How can you throw her out on a night like this Mom? Just look outside!"

Alice's mother opened the back door and paused. She seamed to waver there, almost as if stopped by something and for a moment it seamed like she would drop Dina on the back porch and doom her to a life of frozen winter, but after a moment she closed the door, and handed Dina to Alice.

"Alright," Mother smiled and ruffled Alice's brunette hair, "but only for tonight, as soon as it stops snowing she's back in the yard."

"Oh thank you mother!" Alice shouted happily, "Do you hear that Dina! Do you?" Dina did seam to hear, but the only answer she gave was a soft purr as she began to lick Alice's arm with her rough tongue. "Dina I don't need a bath thank you." Alice's mother began to laugh.

"You need a bath more often than you think young lady, now off to bed with you, your father will be there to read you a bed time story in a minute."

Alice scampered happily up the stairs to her room, Dina licking away, and jumped into bed. It was only about a minute later that her father entered, smiling broadly, with a copy of _The Wizard of Oz _in his hand. They had been reading it for the last three weeks together, and they were on the last chapter, which is what they spent the next few minutes reading. When they finished Father tucked her into her bed in the way only a parent can manage comfortably. He kissed Alice on the forehead and walked to the doorway where he hovered near the dresser.

"So what did you think of the story Alice?" he asked.

"Oh it was wonderful!" she smiled, "Dorothy had such a great time in oz didn't she father?"

"She sure did sweetheart," Father smiled, "Do you want me to blow out the candle?"

"No thanks," Alice answered rather quickly (her father had started asking her this a lot before he left for the night, but Alice wasn't ready to sleep without the light), "Hand me Mr. Rabbit there will you Father?" she motioned for the tattered little stuffed animal with one hanging button eyeball that was sitting on the desk.

"Aren't you getting a little old for stuffed animals at this age?" he replied shaking his head and grabbing the stuffed toy off the dresser.

"He isn't just a stuffed animal to me," Alice replied, "he's the one that can lead me to Wonderla…"

"Alice please," Father sighed as he handed her the doll, "No Wonderland talk tonight." Alice opened her mouth as if she was going to argue, but then closed it and turned over on her side angrily. "Alice I'm sorry," he sighed again, clearly disgusted with himself, he knew how much she loved her Wonderland after all, Alice didn't reply, "I'm sorry Alice, look, we can talk all about Wonderland in the morning how does that sound?" Alice didn't reply, "Goodnight sweetie I love you." Alice grunted something that sounded like 'nugget' as her father closed the door.

"I'm worried about her," was what Alice's father said to his wife that night, "She's twelve years old now and she still sleeps with that old rabbit, she still sleeps with the light on, and she still talks about Wonderland every night. Shouldn't a girl be growing out of these things by now?" Alice's mother rolled over on her side to look at her husband as he lay down next to her.

"I don't want to talk about it," was all she said, which of course was exactly the wrong thing to say at exactly the wrong time to say it.

"We never want to talk about it!" Father hissed quietly under his breath, "that's just the problem isn't it! We need to talk about it… well I need to talk about it, I'm the one who listens to it!"

"What is it about her daydreaming that upsets you so much?" Mother sighed, "can't you just accept that she's a dreamer like her mother and father used to be?"

"It's not that," Father sighed, "not that at all. It's just…. Just that when she talks about it… she's so… so…" he trailed off, as if not sure what to say next, or perhaps, uncomfortable as to what to say next.

"Detailed," Mother agreed quietly. Even though she didn't hear the tales nightly, it was impossible to live in the same house with Alice and not hear them. It was of course, the same discomfort, that had prompted her to tell Father 'I don't want to talk about it' in the first place.

"I don't know if I should be worried is all," Father continued. "At times I wonder if she is just daydreaming or…"

"Your not suggesting our little girl is insane are you!" Mother stated angrily and pushed herself up on one elbow, "Because I know how little girls act and Alice is just fine thank you!"

"Alice isn't just a little girl anymore, she… she's running a bit slow in that regard," Mother opened her lips as if threatening to attack her husband he held up a hand to let him finish, "and I think wonderland is to blame."

"So what do you suggest high and mighty," Mother sneered her voice rising, "Lock your daughter away in a mental institution! Why not Rutledge! I hear they have a wonderful staff in Rutledge!"

"You've got me all wrong Hun," Father replied with a hopeless exhale, "and keep your voice down or you'll wake Alice. All I'm trying to say is…" he took a deep breath, preparing for the enormity of what he was about to say. " I'm starting to wonder if Wonderland is just… Wonderland, or if maybe… just maybe it's…" He trailed off shaking his head, not sure if maybe HE belonged in Rutledge.

"Real," Mother finished for him, nodding her head slightly. "Maybe it's time we spoke with Alice about this and…" The bedroom door suddenly slammed itself shut, and the lock clicked.

"What in the…" Father began. But the smell of smoke stopped the rest.

"Oh my God," Mother whispered, "ALICE!"

In the other room Alice was actually dreaming of wonderland. (well as much as it can be called 'dreaming') In fact she was at that moment talking to the Cheshire Cat, (well as much as it could be called 'talking' with the Cheshire Cat) and he spoke in his customary riddles and rhymes.

"I'll ask you one more time Cat," Alice snapped in exasperation, "Where is Rabbit you silly fool, I'm tiered of your riddles."

"Not so kind as once you were," was the Cat's reply, "a grown up response that one was sure." Alice groaned and sat down on the nearest possible object. (something that was actually quite difficult to find in Wonderland)

"All I want to know… Cat, is…" but she never finished the question. For at that moment, the Cheshire Cats entire demeanor changed. At one moment he looked his always charming self. Fat, uncaring, but always pretty and self confident, and then, there was a look of utmost concern and caring that Alice had never seen, and he interrupted her.

"If before dawn you do not awake," he all but shouted, "Then you will never live to suns embrace!" Alice cocked an eyebrow, suddenly very guarded.

"What the hell does that mean?" she spoke in her customary voice, but the look on the Cat's face was unnerving her.

"Wake up before Dawn Alice," The Cat spoke rather plainly, plainer than Alice had ever heard him speak, "Wake up or you will die tonight, my god I didn't think she would act this quickly!" now he seamed to be speaking to himself, "I should have been there! Damn it Alice your just to precious to be with for your own good, maybe… maybe she knew that!"

"Cat your scaring me what's going on!" was all Alice could think to say, she began walking toward the Cheshire cat.

"Wake up Alice," he whispered as she approached.

"Cat?"

"Wake up Alice," he spoke out loud this time.

"I don't understand…" Suddenly the Cat was fifty feet tall, the tree that he had perched on was simply gone, and he leered menacingly down on Alice, as if ready to tear her to a million pieces. His face was suddenly one of terrifying hunger, his claws razor sharp, his teeth forged to eat meat. He bent down so that all Alice could see was his terrifying head and screamed so loudly that it seamed the only sound in the entirety of Wonderland.

"WAKE UP!" and what she could see through the Cat's dark opening of a mouth, was Dina knocking the candle off her dresser, before she woke up screaming. That was when she saw the flames all around her.

The first thing she heard was her mothers frantic screaming. "Alice! Alice!" Over and over she was just screaming the name. Alice looked around the room frantically, her possessions were all burning, the books, the toys, everything right down to the stuffed animals on the shelves, but Mr. Rabbit was safe in her arms, and that was the only item in the room that mattered to her. She made a quick look around for Dina, but didn't see the cat anywhere.

She had been taught that in the case of a fire, it was best to have several escape routes. The routes that Alice had were limited, the bedroom door was on fire, and two of her three windows were blocked off by flames, but the only window that really mattered was an easy path to take. As the smoke at the sealing slowly began to fill the room, Alice made a choice. _Screw safety._

With a mighty leap the twelve year old girl cleared the flames blocking the bedroom doorway. Landing awkwardly on her left foot, she allowed herself to hit the ground and roll five or six times (just in case she was on fire), before getting up and rushing for her parents closed door. She thought this was strange, as her parents never closed their door, but she shook off the feeling. Her mothers screams for her name continued, and Alice felt compelled to answer.

"I'm right here mommy, me and Mr. Rabbit," Alice grabbed for the door handle and pulled, it was locked. "Mommy I can't get the door open!"

"Just go Alice!" it was her fathers voice, "Just go baby we'll be fine, I'll get the door open just get out of the house!"

"I need to get the door open!" Alice called back, refusing to leave the doorway until her parents were clear of the burning household. "Maybe I can knock it down?"

"No Alice your father already tried that," her mother spoke, "We'll get out through the window, like we taught you, now go sweetie, is the front door on fire?" Alice looked backward and downstairs to the living room.

"No," Alice replied looking around desperately for any means to get the door open, no one item presented itself. _Oh if only this were Wonderland_, she found herself thinking, _Something is always there in Wonderland!_

"Alice?" her father asked, "are you getting out?" There was a long pause. It was one of those moments she would look back on in later years, one of those small moments that seam to last fifty years, as one made a choice that would mean the world of difference. Obey, or do what you think is right. There was no right answer, there was just what would keep her alive, or what would kill her. _After all, _she told herself, _they will exit through the window and we will all be alright._

"I'm going," she called back.

As the flames crept up the hallway from her room Alice jumped on the railing and slid down the stairs like she had done in earlier years, and sprinted toward the front door. Throwing the door wide open she leapt into the snow and ran across the street to where there was already a crowed of people gathering to watch as the house burned.

Alice heard the sound of sirens as the fire department was clearly on its way.

"Alice!" called a voice from behind her, it was one of the neighbors, "Alice thank god your alright where are your parents?" Alice looked toward her parents bedroom window, but she saw no sign that they were even attempting to open it.

"I…" she stuttered, looking desperately to the window, but still nothing was happening, "They said they would be coming out the window, why aren't they coming out!"

"Alice?" the neighbor called again, this time from right next to her, "are you alright?" The fire department had pulled onto the curb and were already unloading their equipment, when Alice looked again to her parents bedroom window.

For the briefest of moments she saw a staff in that window. It was something like a wizards staff, a long shiny pole with a diamond crystal or something on the top, only this staff didn't have a crystal, it had a large red heart, like you would find in a pack of playing cards.

"Noooo!" Alice screamed as she stood and ran as quickly as she could toward the front door of the house (which was already on fire), but was intercepted by an evil firefighter, who was shouting things like 'it's going to be alright little girl' and 'were going to put it out' as if that was going to help. "No she's taking them!" Alice screamed, "Oh God no she's taking my parents!"

The firefighter looked down at the screaming twelve year old with a look of concern. "Is there someone in the house with them? Did someone start that fire?"

"It's the Queen!" Alice screamed in desperation, "The Queen is taking my parents somebody had to do something. Let me go!" Alice began to thrash in the mans arms knowing that he could never understand. The Firefighter would later state to the press that she had been alarmingly strong for a twelve year old girl.

"The Queen?" the firefighter asked bewildered, it was the strangest thing he had ever heard, "who's the Queen?"

"The Red Queen," a little girl said from his left. He turned to look at her and cocked his head.

"Whose the Red queen?" the man asked, Alice still thrashed in his arms, but he was a strong man, and Alice was only a little girl. Alice began to scream, it was a wail of frantic, hopeless despair. Alice knew the little girl who was speaking to the Firefighter, it was Mindy from across the street. The bitch had been making fun of Alice and her Wonderland in school for at least three years in school.

"You see Alice has this fantasy," Mindy replied in that same high and mighty tone she had always used when tormenting the dreamer, "she daydreams all the time in class, and when the teacher asks her what she's doing Alice will be all 'sorry I was in Wonderland', Wonderland is her fantasy realm you see…"

"Shut up!" Alice suddenly screamed at Mindy. Here she was, her parents trapped in a burning building, and still the schoolyard enemy couldn't drop the grudge, who the fuck was she to be a bitch anyway! "You shut up you bitch!" Suddenly Alice was furious, she couldn't explain it but Mindy needed to be hurt, she needed to feel Alice's fear. Alice suddenly changed her direction and began trying to free herself in Mindy's direction. Mindy did seam momentarily stunned by Alice's sudden aggression, but it didn't delay her long.

"The fantasy world," Mindy continued, staring the firefighter right in the eyes, "is ruled by an eeeevil queen, the Queen of Hearts or, as you know, the Red Queen, see she is the queen in a castle inhabited by a group of card men, clubs, diamonds, spades… and hearts"

Alice was still trying to free herself as the firefighter looked down at her with an odd, awkward look on his face. He looked at the way the girl in his arms thrashed.

"Look little girl" he said to Mindy, "I don't think your helping any here."

"Let me go damn it!" Alice roared, she looked back toward the house and saw that her parents room's window was now billowing flames, "My parents are in trouble let me go!" Alice took up her screaming again, and again tried to free herself in the direction of the house.

"At first they were cool stories," Mindy continued her relentless onslaught of information, "even I enjoyed them, there was some really interesting fantasy in that mind of hers, but in time we figured she really believed the crap she talked about, by we I mean myself and the kids in class. Yep, now she's just crazy old Alice. She belongs in Rutledge's if you ask me."

By this time the house was blackened by the flames that the fire dept. had managed to put out. There were still flames exiting her parents window, but Alice just stopped, her thrashing ceased and the sudden change caught the firefighter off guard. He was forced to catch her weight. For a moment he thought she was going to try and run, but then he heard, and felt, the sobs.

"Mommy! Daddy! Mommy! Daddy! Mommy! Daddy!" and it didn't stop, she just screamed that over and over. The firefighter held on to her, Mindy finally left at some point, Alice can't remember much about those last few moments. Only that Mindy was finally gone. The firefighter was still there, and from somewhere in the night Dina was suddenly nestling up in her lap. How had she gotten into a sitting position she couldn't remember, only that she was leaning up against the fire truck, sucking a thumb in one arm (with rabbit clenched under an armpit), and Dina in the other, sobbing and sobbing. Someone got around to asking her about what had happened, and Alice told them what she had seen and done upon waking up in the middle of the night, and that was the last time anyone spoke with her for a very long time.

The neighbors of the Area will later say how the poor girl was saying strange things, frightening things. At some point the firefighter had to keep the little girl from killing Dina. There were many things about that night that are unknown to even the parties who were there, one thing was certain though, to everyone who was watching from across the street, as Alice's house burned to the ground. The firefighters, Mindy and her family, and all the other bystanders agreed that somewhere in between the moments Alice exited her home, and the time it took for the flames to burn the last embers of her once happy home, she was gone. When the Fire fighters last came to check on her, she wasn't responding to anything. They tried speaking to her and yelling. One particularly cruel man even screamed 'Your parents are here Alice!' before being kicked in the nuts by one of Alice's fathers old friends. In any case, Alice was entirely unresponsive.

The news teams had a field day with the story. The newspaper in the morning titled the story 'Burning the Mind", but the most famous title came on the Today show, after all the facts had been released, right down to the conversation Mindy had had with the Firefighter, one of the anchormen, during an interview, had called it "The House of the Burning Heart" and that was the one that stuck.

Over the country millions sympathized for Alice's loss, thousands even emphasized, people who had lost their own families spoke on the news about how their losses could possibly relate to the way Alice must have felt, and eventually a psychologist would explain, in medical terms, what exactly had happened to Alice and why she was in a coma.

In the end even Wonderland became famous. People began saying things like 'the little girl must've been crazy from the start and this last bit just pushed her over the edge,' to America Alice was the new tragedy, a tale of what ones fantasies could make them believe in a case of life threatening crises.

What was never explained, but well published, was that the door to Alice's parents room was unlocked when the firefighters came to retrieve their corpses, and that there were clear signs that there had been many attempts to bash the door open from the inside. There were also bloody claw marks on the easily opened window, signifying that someone had tried and failed to claw their way out.

"Why didn't they just open the door," one man would later say in an interview on Fox News, "Why would he just slam himself into the door over and over when the door was unlocked?"

"Maybe they didn't know," the interviewer replied, "maybe they just assumed…"

"Yeah the little girl said the door was locked when she tried to get in, and they told her to leave and they would go out the window, so maybe they weren't thinking very clearly about that, but then they tried to claw their way out when the window was so easily opened by the authorities. It just doesn't add up man."

"What are you saying?" the interviewer asked.

"Only that maybe there was someone in there that night, someone who knew of Alice's Wonderland fantasies and wished her harm for some reason."

"But who would do that?" was what the interviewer asked.

"That's the question isn't it," the interviewee said, "Who indeed."

Three weeks after the incident, the hospital was done with Alice, calling her a lost cause. The American public criticized the hospital and kept the young lady in their care for three extra months before they lost interest in the story (as they always do), and finally, one afternoon she was wheeled silently, and sorrowfully by one of the kinder hospital nurses, out of the Ambulance, and into the uncared for grounds of Rutledge Private Clinic and Asylum. The story had begun and ended to everyone. Everyone except the twelve year old girl that everyone thought was just in a coma.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Rutledge and Dr. Wilson Hieronymus 'Miracle Doctor'

Six Years and seven months after the fire at the home of Alice

As things always did for Dr. Wilson Hieronymus, the acquiring of Alice's case came easily and was handed to him practically without trying. Being a well publicized case, many people offered to handle it. Dr. Hieronymus (or as he liked to be called Dr. Wilson) had been one of them, he also happened to be the best at what he did. Surprisingly someone else had been given the case, and Dr. Wilson had all but forgotten about the little girl, which was why he had actually been surprised when the call came from Rutledge Asylum.

"Is this Dr. Wilson Heironymous?" a feminine voice asked from the other side of the line.

"Dr. Wilson if you prefer," he replied, "and who might I be speaking to?"

"This is Nurse Dolorous Caimbrige from Rutledge Private Clinic and Asylum, you can call me Nurse D if you'd prefer, I'm calling to ask if you'd be interested in taking a patient here at the clinic under your expert care. See at the moment the young woman's current Physician is a bit… well undereducated, and I believe the case would be best under your supervision."

"I'm not quite sure that can work," Dr. Wilson replied, "I'm currently making progress on any number of patients and it would be near impossible to make arrangements for more doctors to come and take over for me at the current time, just what kind of care will the patient be needing?" There was a pause and a sigh from the other line.

"Well that's just the thing," Nurse D. seamed to sulk a bit, "No one has actually filed for the change in position, but I think that if you gave them your name and offered them your full time support and cooperation. Made a commitment to move down here and promised to keep on the patient until she is better, they would be more than happy to hand over her care to you." Dr. Wilson almost laughed on his end of the line. He had more important things to do than worry about undertaking such a commitment on a whim. He didn't think it wise to voice that opinion however, it sounded like the nurse was desperate.

"Why do you think that there needs to be a change in the patients supervision," he asked, hoping he could derail this conversation another way.

"You see the patient is comatose and has been since she was a little girl, they are going to start using her as a test subject for different methods of treatments," Nurse D stated, and Dr. Wilson understood where she was going even before she voiced the rest of her statement, "I must admit I've grown rather fond of her. She is a pretty young woman and her story is so sad, I just want to do as much as I can to help her so I called you, I even found your name on the list of applicants for the job six years ago, which is the only reason I called you…" startled Dr. Wilson suddenly felt a stab of excitement in his chest, why did Rutledge sound so familiar? He interrupted the woman.

"Wait hold on, I actually applied for this patient? Why did they turn me down?" Dr. Wilson asked.

"It says here that they didn't believe you would be committed for the possibility that she won't wake up."

"They are right then," he agreed, "I don't usually do comatose patients, there is almost no chance of fast progress with many of them, and I love progress. Hold on a minute." There was a long pause. Rutledge why did that sound familiar? Rutledge…

"What is it Dr.?" came D's voice, "is everything alright?"

"Rutledge sounds familiar to me, but I can't…"

"Oh silly me," Nurse D. actually laughed, "I forgot, the patients name is Alice, that's the only card I thought I had to convince you and I forgot to play it."

"Alice as in Wonderlands Alice?" Dr. Wilson exhaled in astonishment.

"That's the one," Nurse D. replied, and from her tone he knew that she knew that she had him. His decision was immediate.

"I'll be working there by Monday and you can brief me on the case files Tuesday." Dr. Wilson spoke with a finality that visibly shocked Nurse D.

"Well," she stuttered, "It may take longer than that for the faculty to get the paperwork in order and…"

"Don't worry about that," Wilson replied, "I'll give your chief of staff a call, tell him I desperately want the job and am willing to sleep the rest of my life in the walls of that asylum for this patient. We'll have that other guy sacked and me in by Monday, I promise you."

"Oh thank you Dr. I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything yet, we are doctors and its our job to help people, if this girl needs help we can give it to her am I wrong in thinking so?" Nurse D. wouldn't be fooled by the heroics speech he knew, (after all he only agreed after she had said Alice's name) but she would be happy for his help either way. The conversation went on for another five minutes but the important half, Dr. Wilson thought, ended there.

He wanted this case, everything this year had been boring, mostly actors who needed 'help' with their daily lifestyles, and he needed something real. Of course, the images of Alice's case did begin to slide back into his mind as he hung up the phone and began making preparations to leave. The images on the news of the burnt house, and the little girl sobbing for her parents came particularly to mind. He may have been doing it for his career, but perhaps there was some genuine help he could give her, maybe even get this one out of the Asylum.

By Monday, as he had promised, he was working in Rutledge, he had an apartment nearby, and was working on the case fulltime. When Tuesday rolled around he was going over the case with Nurse D.

"So far she's been mostly Comatose," the Nurse informed him, "but there are times when she will whisper something very quietly to whoever is feeding her, but it's so quiet you would have to have been preparing for her to speak to understand what she is saying, and then…" she trailed off.

"And then what," Dr. Wilson asked casually as he looked over the little girls papers. He wasn't even looking at Nurse D. and that made her slightly uncomfortable.

"Sometimes she has a drawing waiting for us in the morning." Dr. Wilson glanced up at her, the files momentarily forgotten.

"How does she manage that?"

"The first time it happened she used a screw from her bed to carve the picture into the padded walls, it took us days to find the screw, and we were a little worried she might hurt herself with it. But then I thought to place some paper and color pencils in there and she began to use them."

"How often do you get a picture?" Dr. Wilson asked, returning his attention to the files.

"Once a month or so, we have a folder if you'd like to see them. Rather talented this one."

"Later," Wilson replied, "She's not suicidal then? Never used the pencils to harm herself?"

"Not the pencils no…" Nurse D hesitated.

"What did she use?"

"When she was first placed here, she used to scream things," Dr. Wilson looked up from the papers and listened, if a comatose patient screamed out dialogue, it was important. "She'd cry out stuff like 'No Mr. Rabbit' and 'go for the butcher knife!' one day we found her in the cell with her wrists cut open and a butcher knife lying next to her on the bed. To this day we can't figure out how the knife got there…" she shook her head back and forth, as if still disturbed by the incident.

"But she seams fine with the pencils?" Dr. Wilson asked, he was certain that he didn't want a dead patient on his hands, and if the pencils were a threat...

"Yes I think she just likes to draw things… subconsciously anyway, no one actually sees her draw them either, and at all other times she's just in that coma."

"I want a camera in there so that I can see what happens when she decides to make a drawing, understand?"

"Of course Doctor," Nurse D replied.

That's how Dr. Wilson's reign at Rutledge began, and almost immediately he was at work much harder than the physician before him ever was. He was at Alice' side almost every free minute of his day, marking things in that little notebook of his, and trying new and unheard of ways to try and lure Alice out of the Coma that currently had hold on her.

He would make complex and emotional speeches about the girls condition any time he had no progress to report, and after a time, Alice did begin to come around. She began drawing pictures, of what they could only assume was Wonderland, almost weekly and in time, she was whispering things and speaking. Sure she never spoke to anyone in particular, and it was usually just a random riddle or rhyme, but any progress at the moment was good progress.

The entire staff was beginning to look up to the Doctor as the role model, and many were touched by the way he seamed to fawn over his comatose patient. When the girl began to take up screaming in the middle of the night, Dr. Wilson did in fact sleep at the Clinic, to provide, what he called, moral support. He said that Alice would by now be seeing him, on an unconscious level, as her protector and could possibly be soothed by his presence.

Sadly, despite his efforts, and with the original signs of progress, Alice began to show less promising symptoms. Aside from the outbursts of blood curdling screams in the middle of rare nights, the pictures she drew became steadily darker, steadily more demented. One was a picture of a mangy cat with razor sharp fangs perched on a jagged and awkward looking tree, another was of a crazy looking man in a top hat, holding a cup of either coffee or tea. Signs like these began to take their toll on the Doctor and he was actually beginning to wonder if Alice should recover at all, perhaps she was to far gone. Then one day she woke up.

It was a strange afternoon, one of those days in between the rainy season where there was bright sunshine along with the wet and soggy grass. The unkempt grounds of Rutledge looked all the more like a jungle in one of Alice's pictures, and most of the faculty was away.

In fact the place was nearly deserted if not for some janitors, necessary guards, a few doctors, Nurse D. and Dr. Wilson. Nurse D. was cleaning up the rooms of all the patients, and was mopping the floor in Alice's cell, when she glanced at the tattered Rabbit with a lose eye button nestled in the girls arms. For some reason, in the years that Alice had lived on that bed, Nurse D. had never thought much of the Rabbit, but on this particular day, the animal looked quite pathetic. It was a shame that the only possession the young woman had from her old home was a broken toy. _Well I may not be able to give her anything special, _she thought to herself, _but I can sure patch up that little toy of hers!_

The good Nurse reached down and lightly pulled the Rabbit from the child's arms.

"What are you doing?" came a voice from behind her. Nurse D's heard skipped a beat and she wheeled around, nearly falling over onto Alice.

"Oh," she huffed, "Dr. Wilson, I hadn't heard you enter the room."

"Why are you taking Alice's only link to her past and present? The only real possession she owns, and possibly a very valuable…"

"I wasn't taking it to be nasty," Nurse D snapped at him, she wasn't accustomed to being yelled at for a kindness. "I was just going to sew up the old toys eyeball here. It just occurred to me how sad it was that the only thing she owned was a broken toy, and I wanted to do something nice for her!" She was now in a righteous uproar, and would have continued if Dr. Wilson hadn't begun to laugh.

"Alice is lucky to have a Nurse as caring as you Miss Caimbridge…" He started.

"Nurse D," she interrupted.

"Alright D," he smiled, "as kind and concerned as you were, you should consult me before doing anything with Alice is that clear?" Nurse D did not think it was clear at all, and didn't enjoy being bullied by the relative new comer to the Clinic.

"Now you just see here," she began.

"All I'm saying is that it may not be a good Idea to take that Rabbit out of this room." Nurse D paused and looked at him confused.

"Some patients grow attached to having something with them, toys, tools, you understand?" Nurse D nodded, she knew of a couple in that very clinic (even a few Doctors to obsessed with their vehicles), "and Alice may not want the Rabbit out of her…" Whatever he was about to say ended as a dead weight dropped onto Nurse D's back.

The unsuspecting woman screamed in terror, two hands roped over her shoulders and grasped desperately at the Rabbit in her hands, which Nurse D immediately relinquished. As soon as the hands grabbed them, the weight was off her back and Nurse D ran forward into the shoulder of Dr. Wilson, who was not looking at her, but toward Alice's Bed with an expression of shock, and excitement.

"Good Morning Alice," was what he said. Nurse D turned around in time to see the teenager huddled up on the back of her bed. Her arms were wrapped around her knees and the rabbit was, squished between her thighs and stomach.

"I'm sorry maim," Alice said looking into Nurse D's eyes, her eyes were wide, frightened, but strangely keen, she glanced around the room for a moment, taking in her surroundings, then she locked her gaze back to D's, "You shouldn't touch him, but never follow him. Never follow the white Rabbit, it'll kill everyone you love. Never follow him do you understand?"

"The Rabbit will kill everyone I love?" Nurse D asked.

"No," Alice placed a hand on her forehead and closed her eyes, "The Rabbit leads, he only leads, It's not his fault, he loves me to much, they all loved me to much. Oh god, oh god!" Alice started to pant, breathing in and out in rapid succession. "Dr. Wilson!" she suddenly screamed, "I need…. Dr. Wilson"

"I'm right here Alice," Dr. Wilson was instantly at Nurse D's side, he seamed to already be over Alice's startling awakening, something Nurse D clearly was much slower at.

"You… You've been… talking… to me lately haven't you?" Alice still had her hand on her head, as if it hurt and Nurse D was half in mind to grab the woman an ice pack. Alice opened her eyes and stared into Dr. Wilson. That was it, Nurse D thought, not at him, into him, "Where am I, where's my house, it's on fire oh god my parents!"

"Shhh Alice," Dr. Wilson was up and around the bed quickly, but not so quickly as to upset Alice. "It's natural to be confused, just let it out."

"She took them!" Alice screamed, "Oh god why, how did she find me how? My Parents… that little bitch Mindy this is all Dina's fault!"

"Alice slow down," Dr. Wilson tried, "Your going so fast I can't understand you, who's Mindy, who's Dina, who took your parents? Answer one at a time."

"Who are you!" Alice suddenly recoiled away from him, jerking backward and reaching as if for something to hit him with. He stopped instantly what he was doing, and backed off to show he meant her no harm.

"It's me, Dr. Wilson you called for me remember?" his direct approach frightened Nurse D, most patients would be flipping out by now, "you don't know me more than subconsciously, you've been in a coma for nearly seven years."

"A… coma," Alice stuttered, but her breathing was slowing, "six years?" Alice stopped looking at anyone in particular and stared straight into a wall. There had been a moment during the bizarre moments earlier that Nurse D had feared the poor woman was completely off the edge of sanity, but the way she seamed to collect herself, it showed something, something Nurse D couldn't describe or name.

"That's right Alice, six years, after… the incident with your house, you just stopped functioning and…"

"Makes sense," Alice whispered, stopping Dr. Wilson dead in his sentence. One thing Nurse D figured he had never heard a patient say in his life must have been 'makes sense'.

"What do you mean?" Dr. Wilson asked.

"I can't remember, things images really, but I remember thoughts… I can't" Alice put a hand on her head. Closed her eyes again and shook her head side to side aggressively. "I'm sorry Doctor I can't talk about this right now, I need…. Time. Time alone please." There was something in the Doctors expression that almost prompted Nurse D to laugh. His jaw was slackened, and almost hanging open, but his eyes were so focused on Alice that he almost looked like a love struck teen.

"Of course," he said, "Just call if you need anything Alice, I will always be here to help okay?"

"So will I Alice," Nurse D said, and for some reason she felt an urge to extend her hand, and she did so. Dr. Wilson's eyes almost bulged out of his head when she made the sudden movement, but he didn't try to stop her. Instead he glanced back to look at Alice. "My name is Deloris Caimbridge, but you can call me Nurse D for short."

The confused Alice cocked her head to the left ever so slightly, and then smiled, it was a strange smile, the smile of gratitude after loss. The smile of someone who has lost everything but still accepts the act of kindness. Alice took the hand and shook.

"Okay, I only want to speak with you two, no one else, okay? No one else."

Five minutes later out in the hallway, Nurse D watched Dr. Wilson pacing up and down the hall in front of her, mumbling to himself, and pulling out his little journal and writing things down, and she thought he looked rather cute doing so for some reason. His jet black hair, hazel eyes, and strong features, seamed a stark contrast to the almost nervous and obsessive man in front of her.

"Calm down Dr.," Nurse D giggled, "You look like a nervous wreck."

"It was the Rabbit that woke her up," Dr. Wilson said as he looked over at her, "As soon as you took it from her, it must have caused her to wake up… why didn't anyone ever try to take it from her before now?"

"We have," Nurse D smiled, "and I doubt it was just the Rabbit that woke her up Doctor." He stopped pacing and glanced at her in a confused motion.

"What do you mean?"

"They took from her a long time ago and there was no response. No doctor I'd say it was your time spent with her that made this little scene possible. I'm very happy I hired you." Dr. Wilson just looked at her for a moment. Hired was of course an expression as Nurse D really had no control over the faculty, but he must have understood that she was paying him a complement.

"She's very… I don't know," he replied, "she seams to be taking it very well, very maturely, not like a twelve year old girl. What's going on in her head D? What?" Nurse D didn't reply, she knew he was really talking to himself, he had been using her as a way to talk to himself a lot in the past year since he'd started working here. "I guess we'll only know when she wants to talk to us again, oh I hope she doesn't lapse back into a coma! No that's not likely. What is odd is that she only remembers… well what does she remember?"

"Doctor," Nurse D called at him, his head whipped around to look at her, even though his body remained pacing, "Your making me nervous, stop brain storming." Dr. Wilson grinned like an idiot, and walked over to sit on the bench next to her.

"I'm just a little excited that's all, she's been down all year, and now… just like that!" He made as if to stand up again. D put a hand on his shoulder to keep him down.

"Your telling me, she scared me half to death," she grinned, "I guess that teaches me why were not supposed to turn our backs on a patient."

"She seems… oh maybe I need to stop analyzing until she speaks with us a little more."

"Dr. Wilson, Nurse D," came Alice's Voice from the barred window on her cell door, "I'm ready… I think."

"Why don't you start at the beginning," Dr. Wilson asked. He had just sat down on the chair that he had brought in with him. Nurse D was sitting in another chair, just watching the preceding. Alice was still sitting on the back of her bed, knees up, but now her arms were cuddling her little stuffed Rabbit, however, her breath was steady, and she seamed a much calmer, studied person.

"That's just it sir," Alice remarked, she hugged the little stuffed Rabbit a little closer, "I can't think of where the beginning is. I have… questions of my own that…" she closed her eyes, "I need answered."

"Of course," Dr. Wilson said, and Nurse D had to give him credit, he had obviously wanted to hear Alice's tale immediately, but he was perfectly willing to wait until Alice was comfortable. She nodded to herself, once again content in her choice to call him a year ago. "Ask away Alice, I can't imagine how confused you must be." Alice let out a breath of laughter and smiled.

"Yeah, that would be an understatement, but there's something else I need to know first."

"What is it?" Alice kept silent for a time, seaming to draw strength from the air around her.

"Did they… find my parents," she let out a long breath, "after the fire? Did they find their bodies I mean?" Dr. Wilson's eyes grew wide. It was clear that he hadn't expected Alice to move forward so quickly. He recovered quickly.

"Yes they did Alice," he paused, "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," Alice replied in a strange hollow voice that made Nurse D wince, "I… I shouldn't have left the door in the first place." It was a strange thing to watch. There were no tears, no screams of pain, perhaps the six years of coma had been enough physical strain of sorrow for the woman, but all the same, she blamed herself, that was a sign of guild."

"Do you need more time Alice?" Dr. Wilson asked, "we can wait outside a bit longer if you need…"

"No," Alice said quickly, almost desperately, "I've had six years to wait, now it's time for answers."

"What do you mean?" Nurse D asked, Dr. Wilson looked at her disapprovingly, she couldn't understand why, "what do you mean it's time for answers?"

"I have these thoughts… flashes of insight… no, just memories, some here, some… somewhere else." Dr. Wilson nodded quietly. Giving her time, possibly hoping that she was going to continue, but she remained silent.

"Where would that be?" he asked prodded.

"Well I… Don't know exactly," Alice shook her head, "Could it have been… no I would have recognized it. Could it be possible?"

"What?" Dr. Wilson asked, "I'm sorry Alice your leaving us behind." Alice glanced up at him.

"I used to go somewhere when I was tired or, sick, of regular life. It was… someplace that almost seamed more like home than home to me, the only thing it lacked were my parents…" she paused, "I called it… well it was called Wonderland."

"Yes we know what Wonderland is Alice," Dr. Wilson said, this was perhaps the first thing he had said that really caught Alice off guard, she looked into his eyes very suspiciously.

"How?"

"After the… fire, Wonderland became very popular, there have been news stories, and some girl named Mindy Whimper…" Alice groaned.

"That… That little… girl, probably made it out like I was a mental patient in the making huh!" Alice scowled, then took a look around, and her face dropped, "that's where I am isn't it, I knew this place looked familiar."

"What do you mean," Dr. Wilson asked.

"This is Rutledge's, right? The Mental institute?" Dr. Wilson nodded, "I snuck in here once when I was a kid, me and a friend anyway…"

"Yeah I remember that," Nurse D suddenly interrupted, "It was you and little Bobby Fischer from across town. You guys got in a lot of trouble." If Alice was listening she didn't show it.

"Shit, I guess the Bitch was right, maybe I was a Psycho in the making…"

"Alice," Dr. Wilson stated, bringing her attention to him. Nurse D had a sudden feeling of annoyance, Dr. Wilson could command Alice's attention almost instantly, but Alice all but ignored her. "You were brought here because the Coma came right after a stressful moment in your life. If your conduct remains the way it is right now, I think you may actually be in fine mental health."

"Whatever," Alice said in an almost bored voice that stopped Dr. Wilson from saying anything else. "What I'm trying to say, is that I used to go to Wonderland all the time. I have memories of the past six years, images, like I said, some of you, some of Nurse D there, and some of some other guy, but none… none of Wonderland."

"What?" Dr. Wilson asked, obviously confused, So was Nurse D.

"That means I haven't been there in six years," their blank stairs were apparently all it took Alice to figure out they weren't going to understand. So she took at them with an almost pleading gaze. "I have friends there, and I have enemies there, and If I haven't been there that means they might be in trouble." Dr. Wilson looked at Alice with a sincere smile.

"I'm sure they are fine," he looked at Nurse D for a moment, "Alice you've been in a trauma induced Coma for a long time, It will be good for you to have a good, honest sleep, and maybe we can continue this conversation tomorrow. Does that sound alright?" Alice looked at him for a moment, her head cocked to the left just slightly. Finely she nodded. Dr. Wilson said his goodbye and began walking out the door. "Nurse, may I have a moment?"

"Sure let me just get me just get my bag over there, I dropped it when Alice scared me this morning." Dr. Wilson nodded and left. Nurse D stood up and bent down to reach for the bag.

"I'm sorry," Alice said, Nurse D looked over at her, "If I frightened you to badly, It's just that This Rabbit is the one who led me to Wonderland the first time, and now…"

"It's alright Alice," Nurse D smiled, "No broken bones." Alice grinned. Nurse D made to walk out the door.

"He doesn't believe me," she laid down on the bed and stroked her rabbit sadly as she curled into a ball. "Neither do you."

"I believe you Alice," Nurse D lied.

"I'm going to be here for a long time aren't I," she closed her eyes, laying in an almost fetal position, "because I wont lie, Wonderland is real, because if I say that it isn't, then I really am crazy." Nurse D thought that perhaps she should say something comforting, but couldn't think of anything to say. In the end she wound up leaving the room without a word. She was greeted by Dr. Wilson, who was already talking about what med he planned on putting Alice through to help her with her Wonderland delusions. He was saying how it should be a simple thing to cure. Nurse D however, wasn't so sure, Dr. Wilson hadn't heard Alice's last words, and maybe it was


End file.
